Statutory debt solutions and diligence - policy review consultation: summary of responses

i. Ministerial Foreword

The Scottish Government has made a commitment to identify and take forward improvements in our debt management solutions to ensure they remain fair and fit for purpose. I believe we have an excellent system with solutions that provide fair and effective remedies for people trying to deal with problem debt and those seeking to recover money that is owed. But the need to continually review the detail of our mechanisms has been brought into sharp focus through the economic uncertainty resulting from the pandemic, coupled with the extreme cost pressures placed on households across Scotland that have followed.

The Scottish Government has already acted quickly to introduce important reforms to help those most vulnerable facing the difficulty of dealing with problem debt. A further stakeholder led policy review of existing statutory debt solutions concluded earlier this year. This work involved many specialists, and I am extremely grateful for the time and effort devoted to this important work. The review culminated in a report of recommendations being presented to the Scottish Government and after consideration of these the Scottish Government issued a consultation outlining its response and proposals for action. This report summarises the responses to that consultation.

I would like to thank everyone that has taken the time to respond. The Scottish Government is committed to continuous improvement and all feedback is carefully considered while we develop firm policy proposals.

Tom Arthur MSP

Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth